Business Visit Visa

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BUSINESS VISIT VISA

The Business Visit visa is for individuals who wish to enter the UK for a short period of time for the purpose of engaging in business activities.

As a Business Visit Visa holder, you are permitted to engage in a wide range of business related activities which are detailed below.

General Business Activities

As a UK Business Visit Visa holder you can attend meetings, conferences, seminars, interviews;  give a one-off or short series of talks and speeches provided these are not organised as commercial events and will not make a profit for the organiser; negotiate and sign deals and contracts; attend trade fairs, for promotional work only, provided the visitor is not directly selling; carry out site visits and inspections; gather information for their employment overseas; be briefed on the requirements of a UK based customer, provided any work for the customer is done outside of the UK.

As a UK business visitor you can attend conferences or seminars. Whilst most will be formal speaker-led events usually lasting for a couple of days and focussed on a specific topic or sector, they can also include familiarisation programmes for people coming to learn about UK practices on law or finance for example. However, you must demonstrate to the UK Visas & Immigration that this does not amount to undertaking work experience or recreational study for more than 30 days.

There is no restriction on the duration of a conference, but it would be reasonable to expect the activity to last no more than a couple of weeks. Where a conference is longer, you must demonstrate to the UK Visas & Immigration that it does not amount to work or a course of study. Coming to the UK for general discussions to secure funding for a project is permitted under the Visitor Rules. However, from 1 December 2020 it is not possible for visitors undertaking these activities to switch into the Start-up and Innovator routes in line with the wider switching principles of the points-based immigration system.

Intra-corporate activities: An employee of an overseas based company, who enters the UK on a Business Visit Visa, can advise, consult, trouble-shoot, provide training and share skills and knowledge on a specific internal project with UK employees of the same corporate group, as long as no work is carried out directly with clients. An internal auditor can carry out regulatory or financial audits at a UK branch of the same group of companies as the visitor’s employer overseas.

Creative: An artist, entertainer, or musician, with a Business Visit Visa, give performances as an individual or as part of a group; take part in competitions or auditions; make personal appearances and take part in promotional activities; take part in one or more cultural events or festivals. Personal or technical staff or members of the production team of an artist, entertainer or musician may support the above-referenced activities provided they are attending the same event as the artist, entertainer or musician, and are employed to work for them outside of the UK. Film crew (actor, producer, director or technician) employed by an overseas company may visit the UK to take part in a location shoot for a film or programme or other media content that is produced and financed overseas.

Sport: a sportsperson may take part in a sports tournament or sports event as an individual or part of a team; make personal appearances and take part in promotional activities; take part in trials provided they are not in front of a paying audience; take part in short periods of training provided they are not being paid by a UK sporting body; and join an amateur team or club to gain experience in a particular sport. Personal or technical staff of the sports person, or sports officials, may support the above-referenced activities, if they are attending the same event as the sports person, and are employed to work for them outside the UK.

Overseas roles requiring specific activities in the UK: Individuals employed outside the UK may visit the UK to take part in the following activities relating to their employment overseas:

  • a translator and/or interpreter may translate and/or interpret in the UK as an employee of an enterprise located overseas; or
  • personal assistants and bodyguards may support an overseas business person in carrying out permitted activities, provided they will attend the same event(s) as the business person and are employed by them outside the UK. They must not be providing personal care or domestic work for the business person; or
  • a tour group courier, contracted to a company with its headquarters outside the UK, who is entering and departing the UK with a tour group organised by their company; or
  • a journalist, correspondent, producer or cameraman gathering information for an overseas publication, programme or film; or
  • archaeologists taking part in a one-off archaeological excavation; or
  • a professor from an overseas academic institution accompanying students to the UK as part of a study abroad programme, may provide a small amount of teaching to the students at the host organisation (however this must not amount to filling a permanent teaching role for that institution); or
  • market researchers and analysts may conduct market research or analysis for an enterprise located outside the UK.

When considering whether you have sufficient funds to cover the costs associated with your visit to the UK, the UK Visas & Immigration will accept third party support from a UK Sponsor provided that you can show genuine professional or personal relationship with the third party Sponsor. The third party Sponsor will also be required to provide documentary evidence to demonstrate that they have the funds to cover the costs associated with your visit to the UK.

If you wish to apply for a Business Visit Visa speak to one of our specialised immigration lawyers for expert advice by completing our “Enquiry Form”.

How our lawyers can help you with your UK Business Visit Visa Application?

Our lawyers are specialists in UK immigration law with almost a decade of experience. We have assisted hundreds of UK Business Visit Visa applicants to prepare and submit successful UK Business Visit Visa applications.

Our immigration lawyers can provide you expert advice on meeting the requirements of the Immigration Rules, carry out a detailed assessment of your prospects of qualifying for a UK Business Visit Visa and can assist you with the preparation and submission of immigration application.

Our lawyers combine creative energy with deep technical legal expertise to uncover innovative, out-of-the-box and unconventional strategies that help you succeed in your application even when you’re facing inherent challenges in meeting the requirements of a UK Business Visit Visa application.

We do this by deploying the following:

  • Taking a holistic approach to analysing every facet of each case and formulating strategies to comprehensively address every element of the case;
  • Bringing deep technical and substantive legal expertise;
  • Collaborative strategizing among specialist lawyers, who operate at different levels of seniority, bringing a wealth of technical expertise, tactical know-how and diversity of perspective on your matter;
  • Using Design Thinking to reframe the challenges you face with a view to redefining value and opening up the scope of solutions;
  • Designing customised strategy to meet your specific challenges.

What this means for you?

If you instruct us to take on your case, our scope of work will comprise of the following:

  • Taking detailed instructions to carry out a thorough analysis of your case;
  • Assessing your eligibility for a UK Business Visit Visa in line with the requirements as set out in the Immigration rules Appendix V: Visitor (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-v-visitor), the accompanying Policy Documents and the wider case-law jurisprudence;
  • Notifying you of the strengths and weaknesses of your case;
  • Advising you on strategies, where possible, to remedy the weaknesses in your case and better evidence the strengths of your case;
  • Providing you detailed and customised advice on the documents you need to provide in support of your application;
  • Reviewing your documents to assess whether they meet the evidential requirements of your application and to advise you if further documents are required;
  • Drafting the application form to provide to you for review and, if required, amending the application in line with your observations;
  • Preparing a detailed letter of representations to be submitted in support of your application;
  • Submitting the application form online and arranging an appointment for the enrolment of your biometrics;
  • Responding to any queries from the Home Office regarding your application
  • Addressing any queries that you may have regarding your application and any issues arising relating to your immigration status;
  • Corresponding with the UK Visas and Immigration (Home Office) to ensure a timely decision on your application.

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